Heritage Bank Staff Swap Beds for Street Swags in Effort to Help Local Charity

Heritage Bank's Sunshine Coast team experienced the homeless life for a night to raise funds for local charity The Shack. As this year's recipient, The Shack was awarded with $1500 that can aid in improving their services in the local community.

The Shack is a community centre on the Sunshine Coast, which provides free one-on-one counselling, meals and assistance for the homeless and at-risk individuals.

The Nambour-based centre was selected as the lucky recipient when the Sunshine Coast team was awarded $1500 for their “charity pitch” at the annual 2013 Heritage Retail Conference.

As part of the conference, branch managers from all over the State had to choose a charity then do a “pitch” to the conference delegates of why Heritage should support them with the $1500 donation.

Nambour Branch Sales and Service Manager Sandy McCulloch said The Shack was a deserving recipient of the funding.

“This donation will help The Shack provide much needed services on the Sunshine Coast,” Sandy said.

“On a weekly basis, The Shack provides around 2000 lunches, 1500 breakfasts and gives out countless street sways, blankets and clothing items to those in need.

“At the time of our Retail Conference, The Shack was looking for donations to help with sleeping bags so I suggested them as our chosen charity.”

The charity pitch inspired the Heritage team to arm themselves with only the clothes on their back, a street swag and a serve of hot soup to get out and experience homeless life for one night.

Sandy said The Shack are wonderful Heritage customers and the bank has supported them in the past.

“This group do such a good job of helping people who have fallen on hard times, and what we experienced in that one night in the sleep-out does not even come close to what some people go through on a daily basis,” she said.

“The team at The Shack work really hard and uncover the fact there are far less fortunate people out there, and that we should be thankful for everything we have.”